ABC airing too many repeats

The lobby group Friends have spoken out about their opinions of the ABC's schedule. They have claimed that the network is broadcasting too many repeat shows and fabricating their viewing schedules with materials most viewers have seen sometimes several times before. This information comes from a West Australian news paper that looked into 43 programmes shown on the ABC - 41% of which were repeats.

Glenys Stradijot, campaign manager for 'Friends', said the ABC now screened less first-run Australian drama than the quotas developed to protect Australian culture imposed on commercial networks, with local drama falling from 102 hours in 2001 to three hours in 2004-05.

Communications minister Stephen Conroy stated that the problem has been noted and there will be a request for increased funding for the ABC when the next triennial budget is done for the network.“The ABC is one of Australia’s most important public institutions and the Government is committed to ensuring adequate funding to the ABC to enable it to provide Australians with high quality broadcasting services,” he said.